“It's troubling and it's an issue that we're certainly aware of,'' Fairbanks regent Cynthia Henry said. “It's a national trend, but we are at the extreme end of the trend.''
Men age 18 and older made up 52 percent of the state's population in 2003, but were a mere 39 percent of UA's student body. The statewide university system enrolled 157 women for every 100 men that year.
Only the UAF campus was close to the national average with 44 percent male enrollment. Kleinfeld attributed that to UAF programs in natural sciences and engineering, which tend to attract more men.
The trend is most pronounced among Alaska Natives and on the university's rural campuses. Three Alaska Native women graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2003 for every Alaska Native male — the highest gender gap in the nation.
UAF is considering exporting to rural campuses some programs, such as in engineering and technology, that have proved popular with male students. Programs that trained students in the construction and mining trades also were popular.
Prince William Sound Community College, the only campus in the UA system with a gender balance similar to the state population, offers a number of programs related to the petroleum industry that attract more men.
— Associated Press
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